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Upstairs & Downstairs: My Life In Service as a Lady's Maid
A fascinating memoir of life as a lady's maid in a big house in the 1930s, covering the beauty of the house, the housing of royals escaping the Nazis, the hard work of staff, and the experience of joining the army to serve a Countess
Hilda Newman was a maid to Lady Coventry at the Worcestershire stately home of Croome Court in the 1930s. In her fascinating memoir of life below the stairs (as well as glimpses from inside the big house), she reveals what it was like living and working in the 18th Century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by parkland landscaped by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. During World War II Croome Court housed the exiled Dutch Royal Family, who escaped the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. It was also the top-secret RAF base Defford, where radar was developed and repairs were carried out on aircraft fighting in the Battle of Britain. Hilda remembers life both upstairs and down, from the grand long gallery designed by Robert Adam and the tapestry room (since removed and transferred to the Metropolitan Museum in New York), to the hard labor demanded of serving staff and what it was like in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women's branch of the British Army, which she joined to serve the Countess in 1940.
Hilda Newman was a maid to Lady Coventry at the Worcestershire stately home of Croome Court in the 1930s. In her fascinating memoir of life below the stairs (as well as glimpses from inside the big house), she reveals what it was like living and working in the 18th Century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by parkland landscaped by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. During World War II Croome Court housed the exiled Dutch Royal Family, who escaped the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. It was also the top-secret RAF base Defford, where radar was developed and repairs were carried out on aircraft fighting in the Battle of Britain. Hilda remembers life both upstairs and down, from the grand long gallery designed by Robert Adam and the tapestry room (since removed and transferred to the Metropolitan Museum in New York), to the hard labor demanded of serving staff and what it was like in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women's branch of the British Army, which she joined to serve the Countess in 1940.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 2, 2013
517 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
About the author
Tim Tate
25 books67 followersTim Tate is a multiple award-winning British documentary film-maker and bestselling author.
His films - mostly investigative, always campaigning - have been honoured by Amnesty International, the Royal Television Society, UNESCO, The Association for International Broadcasting, The International Documentary Association, the New York Festivals and the US National Academy of Cable Programming. He often speaks at international conferences and university seminars.
He is also the author of fifteen published non-fiction books. These include the best-selling "Slave Girl" which told the true story of a young British woman sex-trafficked to Amsterdam; "Girls With Balls" which uncovered the secret history of women's football; "Hitler's Forgotten Children", which tells the extraordinary and harrowing story of a woman who was part of the Nazi Lebensborn programme to create an Aryan master race; and "Yorkshire Ripper - The Secret Murders" which reveals long-suppressed evidence showing that Peter Sutcliffe killed 23 more victims.
His 2017, "Pride", tells the extraordinary true story behind the hit movie of the same name. In 1984,in the depths of the bitterly-fought miners' strike, a group of very cosmopolitan London gay men and women made common cause with the very traditional communities of a remote south Wales valley - and helped keep its mining families alive at at a time when the British government was trying to starve them into submission.
His latest book - The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: Crime, Conspiracy and Cover-Up (Thistle Publishing) is the result of 25 years investigation by Tim and his co-author, former CNN journalist Brad Johnson. It presents detailed forensic, ballistic and eyewitness testimony showing that the convicted assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, could not have shot Kennedy. It reveals that Los Angeles Police disregarded and then suppressed clear evidence of a conspiracy behind the assassination and makes a compelling case for a new official inquiry.
His films - mostly investigative, always campaigning - have been honoured by Amnesty International, the Royal Television Society, UNESCO, The Association for International Broadcasting, The International Documentary Association, the New York Festivals and the US National Academy of Cable Programming. He often speaks at international conferences and university seminars.
He is also the author of fifteen published non-fiction books. These include the best-selling "Slave Girl" which told the true story of a young British woman sex-trafficked to Amsterdam; "Girls With Balls" which uncovered the secret history of women's football; "Hitler's Forgotten Children", which tells the extraordinary and harrowing story of a woman who was part of the Nazi Lebensborn programme to create an Aryan master race; and "Yorkshire Ripper - The Secret Murders" which reveals long-suppressed evidence showing that Peter Sutcliffe killed 23 more victims.
His 2017, "Pride", tells the extraordinary true story behind the hit movie of the same name. In 1984,in the depths of the bitterly-fought miners' strike, a group of very cosmopolitan London gay men and women made common cause with the very traditional communities of a remote south Wales valley - and helped keep its mining families alive at at a time when the British government was trying to starve them into submission.
His latest book - The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: Crime, Conspiracy and Cover-Up (Thistle Publishing) is the result of 25 years investigation by Tim and his co-author, former CNN journalist Brad Johnson. It presents detailed forensic, ballistic and eyewitness testimony showing that the convicted assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, could not have shot Kennedy. It reveals that Los Angeles Police disregarded and then suppressed clear evidence of a conspiracy behind the assassination and makes a compelling case for a new official inquiry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
September 20, 2018
Reading this slight "memoir", I couldn't help thinking I was reading a history book geared towards middle schoolers. Honestly, this book would be ideal to assign to a group of 6th graders studying Britain at the beginning of WWII. It is written just at their level. The author - the real author, not Hilda - explains the most basic history facts to the reader, just as if the reader is a child who knows nothing of history. What, Edward abdicated the throne? No way! Hitler invaded Poland ? I had no idea! The Germans tried to block ships carrying needed goods to England? That's so mean! This war stuff is crazy.
Tim Tate, the author, seems to have interviewed Hilda a few times about her 5 years as a lady's maid and then realized "Oh crap, I don't have enough material for a book but I've already signed a contract. Yikes! Whatever can I do?" His solution was to heavily pad the book with facts about life in England in the 20's and 30's. He even prints complete speeches from Edward and Winston Churchill, as well as several articles from newspapers. The complete articles. Not just quotes. Lol.
I actually did enjoy Tate's detailed descriptions of the typical lower class home, the typical small village, the cost of everyday items and the types of food eaten. I thought the explanation of the old money system was especially helpful. No need to google an inflation calculator to figure out what a salary or cost of item would be in current dollars. Tate also includes a history of the Coventry family that Hilda worked for. I wish he had spent more time detailing the building of Croome Court and it's gardens by Capability Brown. More photos of the estate would have been nice, too. I guess he figured he had enough padding by that point?
Hilda's story itself is a fine read and is engaging, assuming that you are interested in the working of an English stately home during it's twilight years. And if you are not, then why on earth are you reading this book in the first place? I do wish Tate had told us what happened to the other servants when the house was turned over to government use during the war. It seemed an odd omission, considering all the other random bits he'd included in the book.
If you want to read an actual memoir by a ladies maid, I suggest reading Rose:My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison published in 1975. She worked for Lady Astor for 35 years and experienced a lot. It's a fascinating look at that life. From Newsweek's review -“A delectable assortment of tales and details about the habits of overprivileged Britishers and the people who served them…. Rosina is a feisty, keen-eyed, no-nonsense observer of caste, class, and character. And when she matches wills and wits with Lady Astor—a Virginia Belle by birth, a Member of Parliament, and mistress of a dazzling fortune, and of Cliveden, one of England’s most stately homes—the result is not only a crackling comedy of manners, but a sense of the way it was, firsthand.”
Tim Tate, the author, seems to have interviewed Hilda a few times about her 5 years as a lady's maid and then realized "Oh crap, I don't have enough material for a book but I've already signed a contract. Yikes! Whatever can I do?" His solution was to heavily pad the book with facts about life in England in the 20's and 30's. He even prints complete speeches from Edward and Winston Churchill, as well as several articles from newspapers. The complete articles. Not just quotes. Lol.
I actually did enjoy Tate's detailed descriptions of the typical lower class home, the typical small village, the cost of everyday items and the types of food eaten. I thought the explanation of the old money system was especially helpful. No need to google an inflation calculator to figure out what a salary or cost of item would be in current dollars. Tate also includes a history of the Coventry family that Hilda worked for. I wish he had spent more time detailing the building of Croome Court and it's gardens by Capability Brown. More photos of the estate would have been nice, too. I guess he figured he had enough padding by that point?
Hilda's story itself is a fine read and is engaging, assuming that you are interested in the working of an English stately home during it's twilight years. And if you are not, then why on earth are you reading this book in the first place? I do wish Tate had told us what happened to the other servants when the house was turned over to government use during the war. It seemed an odd omission, considering all the other random bits he'd included in the book.
If you want to read an actual memoir by a ladies maid, I suggest reading Rose:My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison published in 1975. She worked for Lady Astor for 35 years and experienced a lot. It's a fascinating look at that life. From Newsweek's review -“A delectable assortment of tales and details about the habits of overprivileged Britishers and the people who served them…. Rosina is a feisty, keen-eyed, no-nonsense observer of caste, class, and character. And when she matches wills and wits with Lady Astor—a Virginia Belle by birth, a Member of Parliament, and mistress of a dazzling fortune, and of Cliveden, one of England’s most stately homes—the result is not only a crackling comedy of manners, but a sense of the way it was, firsthand.”
January 7, 2018
Mrs Newman takes us back to the 1930s, to her job as one of the upper servants in a decaying Stately Home. It was a good read after the first couple of chapters, which needed a bit of editing and rewriting; personally I found all of that family history crammed into such a short space confusing and rather unnecessary. If she wanted to discuss the "family curse" it could have been done differently. The flip-flop from "young girl gets first place in service" to "family history" and suddenly back again very nearly gave me whiplash!
After that, though, it was interesting, though I had to chuckle more than once at Newman's need to tell us repeatedly that premarital sex just never happened in those days! Maybe it didn't among her parents' set and maybe it wasn't acceptable or common as it is now, but if she thinks there were no illegitimate children in those days, she lived with her head in the sand, as we all know. Her narrator's voice is a bit "I know best, listen to me" but then she was 97 when this was written. The plug to visit the oulde stately home was a bit out of place, but then whoever suggested she write this probably works with the National Trust.
A good read for a week in which I was fighting a heavy cold.
After that, though, it was interesting, though I had to chuckle more than once at Newman's need to tell us repeatedly that premarital sex just never happened in those days! Maybe it didn't among her parents' set and maybe it wasn't acceptable or common as it is now, but if she thinks there were no illegitimate children in those days, she lived with her head in the sand, as we all know. Her narrator's voice is a bit "I know best, listen to me" but then she was 97 when this was written. The plug to visit the oulde stately home was a bit out of place, but then whoever suggested she write this probably works with the National Trust.
A good read for a week in which I was fighting a heavy cold.
August 17, 2022
Very good audio book about the five years a young girl spent as the personal lady's maid to the Counters of Coventry in the late 1930's.
February 14, 2018
Started well, but became convoluted, and had a disappointing finish.
December 3, 2022
I may have never watched an episode of Downtown Abbey, but I have a soft spot for memoirs like this. The author covers the five years she spent working as a ladies maid for a prominent member of the aristocracy during the early 20th century. The tone of the book reads very much “those were the days” and touches on issues of the way things were and how people nowadays just don’t understand… but still, she was 97 when this book came to fruition. Who can hardly blame her?
I enjoyed the story of how Hilda came to work in such a magnificent home, and the day to day routines that followed. The book ends somewhat abruptly with the outbreak of World War Two, and there are several people I wished the author would have followed up on, but nonetheless this is an intriguing read that puts you front and centre of an entirely different world.
I enjoyed the story of how Hilda came to work in such a magnificent home, and the day to day routines that followed. The book ends somewhat abruptly with the outbreak of World War Two, and there are several people I wished the author would have followed up on, but nonetheless this is an intriguing read that puts you front and centre of an entirely different world.
March 29, 2022
Can you imagine my nervousness when I took the little key into my hand? Here was I, a 19-year-old girl earning just £13 a year, being handed the key to a safe that must hold tens of thousands of pounds' worth of diamonds and pearls.
This worked well as an audiobook -- the author kept addressing the reader directly ("Now, perhaps you're thinking this doesn't sound so very different to life today..." "If that seems archaic to you...") and it just made me feel like I was listening to my gran ramble on. It was interesting hearing about her own personal experiences, but there was a lot of filler about the abdication of Edward VIII, and World War 2, including copy-and-pasted news articles and speeches from the time.
I'm trying to make allowances for the fact that the author was 97 when she wrote (or dictated) this, but... she really has that older-person-mentality of "everything was better back in my day" which was a little grating. She doesn't think people today would pull together to do their bit during a crisis, and that they wouldn't have the same understanding and sympathy if a foreign country was invaded as they did in 1939 because nobody is as informed as they used to be. Recent events show otherwise. Oh, and she doesn't think modern folk take action when they see something is wrong, but just sit about "wringing their hands", so clearly she's never come across cancel culture.
Anyway, if you ignore her attitude, this book offers a glimpse into the dying years of domestic service, when the lady of the house would sit around for an hour a day having her hair brushed. Also, there are some unintentionally hilarious turns of phrase:
I really don't think it's an exaggeration to say that almost every British citizen held his or her breath for the next eight days.
I... really think it is...
March 6, 2016
An enjoyable read - probably more like 3.5 than 3 stars. The author - an amazing 97 year old ex lady's maid - takes us back in time to a very different world where the lifestyle was far removed from today's techno-existence; a world I imagine younger generations would find hard to imagine nowadays. Being a child of the 50s and 60s myself I can certainly relate to some of the reminiscences, which reminded me of the less pampered, more resourceful days of my own childhood.
August 23, 2022
This was interesting but just okay. The whole idea of “people were better back in my day” got on my nerves a little. But it was nice to hear another person’s perspective of that time.
June 12, 2024
I enjoy reading memoirs, particularly of ordinary people. I find it interesting to get a glimpse into real life in another time or place.
Hilda spend around 5 years as lady’s maid to the Countess of Coventry in the late 1930's. Whilst this is Hilda’s memoir, the co-author Tim Tate has added a significant amount of historical detail/background to put things into context. From a history of the Coventry family, to what was happening in the wider world. I particularly liked the descriptions of the ordinary working class home that Hilda had come from, the everyday items, the small market town of Stamford and the general way of life – even down to how the gas lamps were lit.
The book doesn’t give much in the way of insight into the happenings within the aristocratic house – there aren’t salacious details or gossip here - yet it gives a huge amount of insight into how Hilda felt about different situations. From her first glimpse of the large room that was to be her bedroom, to feeling out of her depth when she was brought a cup of tea in the morning (as an “upper-servant” she was given different privileges) and being overwhelmed at the responsibility she was given, particularly when she was trusted to go and retrieve jewels from the bank safe prior to the 1937 Coronation.
Whilst I liked that the author addressed the reader directly “You can visit Croome Court, it’s now in the hands of the National Trust, and I think you should” or “Now, perhaps you are thinking …” (this worked particularly well in the audiobook when it felt like Hilda was just having a nice chat with you), there are numerous times where she talks about how things were better then or how young people today wouldn’t cope with that … and it felt a bit preachy.
The book ends quite abruptly and it would have been nice to have just a little more to round it off, but I can see why this decision was made as she was no longer “in service” at that point, which is what the book is about.
Overall I enjoyed this book from the historical side and it was a lovely glimpse into a very different time and culture with an authentic voice.
Hilda spend around 5 years as lady’s maid to the Countess of Coventry in the late 1930's. Whilst this is Hilda’s memoir, the co-author Tim Tate has added a significant amount of historical detail/background to put things into context. From a history of the Coventry family, to what was happening in the wider world. I particularly liked the descriptions of the ordinary working class home that Hilda had come from, the everyday items, the small market town of Stamford and the general way of life – even down to how the gas lamps were lit.
The book doesn’t give much in the way of insight into the happenings within the aristocratic house – there aren’t salacious details or gossip here - yet it gives a huge amount of insight into how Hilda felt about different situations. From her first glimpse of the large room that was to be her bedroom, to feeling out of her depth when she was brought a cup of tea in the morning (as an “upper-servant” she was given different privileges) and being overwhelmed at the responsibility she was given, particularly when she was trusted to go and retrieve jewels from the bank safe prior to the 1937 Coronation.
Whilst I liked that the author addressed the reader directly “You can visit Croome Court, it’s now in the hands of the National Trust, and I think you should” or “Now, perhaps you are thinking …” (this worked particularly well in the audiobook when it felt like Hilda was just having a nice chat with you), there are numerous times where she talks about how things were better then or how young people today wouldn’t cope with that … and it felt a bit preachy.
The book ends quite abruptly and it would have been nice to have just a little more to round it off, but I can see why this decision was made as she was no longer “in service” at that point, which is what the book is about.
Overall I enjoyed this book from the historical side and it was a lovely glimpse into a very different time and culture with an authentic voice.
December 29, 2019
I've never read a memoir quite like this one before, and it was a fascinating glimpse into a very different time and culture. I actually liked Mrs. Newman's narrative voice, with some of the old-fashioned turns of phrase and its warm and pleasant tone. But there was a lot of reminiscence over how various aspects of society were better back then, which tended to distract from the story. I would have liked it to be a bit longer as well, but it was still very interesting to see this society from the view of a real person. I can definitely recommend Diamonds at Dinner for anyone interested in history as lived by ordinary people.
July 1, 2018
I enjoyed this book from the historical point of view, especially how much life has changed in only the last hundred years or so. Recent history fascinates me as we have progressed further than anyone would believe. This is a story from the view of a maid working for a Lady during the 1930s and includes her views on both world wars, as well as the Royal Family and the class divide. An interesting read and I'm keen to now visit Croome Court 😀
September 14, 2024
Written by my great-grandmother’s aunt! I was able to meet “Auntie Hilda” (as she was known in the family) in 2015 when I was just 16 years old. My mom has wonderful memories of her humor and she certainly was an amazing lady. My great-great grandparents are actually in her wedding photo shown in the book!
Her story is incredible and I am so happy she was able to share it with the world. What a great book!!!!
Her story is incredible and I am so happy she was able to share it with the world. What a great book!!!!
January 11, 2020
A pleasant and in parts quite interesting read, though on the whole there's nothing much new here. The writing is rather simplistic, and a lot of time is spent explaining basic historical facts anyone who has ever picked up a history book or attended a history class should already be familiar with.
August 19, 2022
4.25 stars
October 21, 2015
Title: DIAMONDS FOR DINNER: My Life as a Lady's Maid in a 1930s Stately Home
Author: Hilda Newman (with Tim Tate)
Type of Book: Softcover
Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography, Memoir
Length: 241 pages
Release Date: September 2013
Publisher: John Blake/Trafalgar Square
Regular Price: $14.95
Sale Price: $5.99 at Chapters in the Bargain Book section
ISBN: 978-1-78219-610-5
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Are you a fan of Downtown Abbey? Have you ever wondered if what you see on the show is historically accurate? I am, and I have.
When browsing through the Bargain Books section at the Chapters store in Barrie, Ontario I came across "Diamonds For Dinner" and I was intrigued to see if the reality of being a ladies maid was really like the way it is portrayed on Downtown Abbey.
I expected this book to focus solely on Hilda's time as a ladies maid, but upon reading I realized that it was much more than that.
Chapter One begins: "I am, it is safe to say, old now. Though a more polite way of looking at it would be to say that I have seen a lot of history."
To say that Hilda "...has seen a lot of history..." is an understatement. She was born during World War I and served in World War II. In her lifetime there have been 20 (yes, 20) different British Prime Ministers and she has been alive during the reign of two (and a half) kings and was ten years old when Britain's current Queen was born. If that is not considered seeing a lot of history, I don't know what is.
Hilda has lived a very interesting life and she has written this book (at the age of 97) with a wickedly wry sense of humour that makes it eminently readable.
Hilda was born in 1916 while her father was away fighting the war in France. In fact, she would be two years old by the time she finally met him for the first time. She didn't know it then, but she was extremely lucky. Lucky because her father not only made it through World War I alive, but that he came through it physically unscathed and arrived home without any physical infirmities.
Hilda's parents were never rich, and when her father returned from the war, he discovered that he no longer had his previous job as an engineer to fall back on. Hilda's parents believed in hard work. "But we learned from our earliest years that life was a test and what mattered was the choices you made, never knowing whether you'd made the right one until it was too late: you might be right, you might be wrong but you had no option but to choose and, when all was said and done, you'd better be prepared to take the consequences."
It was this philosophy that ultimately led Hilda to apply to be a ladies maid for Countess of Coventry, even though she had no previous experience in "service."
This book is the story "...of life with the Earl and Countess of Coventry - one of the oldest and greatest families..." in England at the time.
The details of both how the servants lived and how the family lived are fascinating. As are the details of the estate itself. In "Downtown Abbey" the story focuses mainly on the people and on the main house and rarely shows the scope of the estate's size. In "Diamonds For Dinner" Hilda finds a guide book in the library that she follows around the grounds. Imagine having to walk for thirty minutes just to find a building that was built as a pleasure house for the residents of the main house.
This book is completely absorbing and is so fascinating that I read the entire book over a twenty-four hour span. Because of this I have to rate this book as no less than 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
To read more of my reviews visit http://AMIESBOOKREVIEWS.wordpress.com
Author: Hilda Newman (with Tim Tate)
Type of Book: Softcover
Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography, Memoir
Length: 241 pages
Release Date: September 2013
Publisher: John Blake/Trafalgar Square
Regular Price: $14.95
Sale Price: $5.99 at Chapters in the Bargain Book section
ISBN: 978-1-78219-610-5
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Are you a fan of Downtown Abbey? Have you ever wondered if what you see on the show is historically accurate? I am, and I have.
When browsing through the Bargain Books section at the Chapters store in Barrie, Ontario I came across "Diamonds For Dinner" and I was intrigued to see if the reality of being a ladies maid was really like the way it is portrayed on Downtown Abbey.
I expected this book to focus solely on Hilda's time as a ladies maid, but upon reading I realized that it was much more than that.
Chapter One begins: "I am, it is safe to say, old now. Though a more polite way of looking at it would be to say that I have seen a lot of history."
To say that Hilda "...has seen a lot of history..." is an understatement. She was born during World War I and served in World War II. In her lifetime there have been 20 (yes, 20) different British Prime Ministers and she has been alive during the reign of two (and a half) kings and was ten years old when Britain's current Queen was born. If that is not considered seeing a lot of history, I don't know what is.
Hilda has lived a very interesting life and she has written this book (at the age of 97) with a wickedly wry sense of humour that makes it eminently readable.
Hilda was born in 1916 while her father was away fighting the war in France. In fact, she would be two years old by the time she finally met him for the first time. She didn't know it then, but she was extremely lucky. Lucky because her father not only made it through World War I alive, but that he came through it physically unscathed and arrived home without any physical infirmities.
Hilda's parents were never rich, and when her father returned from the war, he discovered that he no longer had his previous job as an engineer to fall back on. Hilda's parents believed in hard work. "But we learned from our earliest years that life was a test and what mattered was the choices you made, never knowing whether you'd made the right one until it was too late: you might be right, you might be wrong but you had no option but to choose and, when all was said and done, you'd better be prepared to take the consequences."
It was this philosophy that ultimately led Hilda to apply to be a ladies maid for Countess of Coventry, even though she had no previous experience in "service."
This book is the story "...of life with the Earl and Countess of Coventry - one of the oldest and greatest families..." in England at the time.
The details of both how the servants lived and how the family lived are fascinating. As are the details of the estate itself. In "Downtown Abbey" the story focuses mainly on the people and on the main house and rarely shows the scope of the estate's size. In "Diamonds For Dinner" Hilda finds a guide book in the library that she follows around the grounds. Imagine having to walk for thirty minutes just to find a building that was built as a pleasure house for the residents of the main house.
This book is completely absorbing and is so fascinating that I read the entire book over a twenty-four hour span. Because of this I have to rate this book as no less than 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
To read more of my reviews visit http://AMIESBOOKREVIEWS.wordpress.com
September 17, 2023
I thought this was a good book, one of the better ones of this genre that I've read.
The author was a Lady's Maid to the Countess of Coventry, living at Croome Court.
This book had a lot of detail and additional commentary about the social climes of the time which enriched the story for me. Except- dang, I wish there were photos of the house, her rooms, the servant's hall and the kitchen. There are a few photos of the author, her betrothed, and the Countess.
There were helpful details along the way of this story-
The history of the Earls of Coventry, the history of the Countess' family- Nesta Donne Phillips, born 1903- her father had something to do with the White Star Line, and had some financial crime issues- ending up spending 12 months in jail.
Some quotes:
"They called them The Hungry Thirties.... "Locust years', 'a dark tunnel', the Devil's Decade....and time has done nothing to change the image of the 1930s. And always, always, throughout the length and breadth of the land, there was hunger."
Explanation of the day's currency- pre-decimal- 12 pennies in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound....half-penny- farthing- and what they could buy.
A household staff of 15 (the previous Earl had a staff of 40)
The demarcation between upper and lower servants-
"People grew up knowing their station in life...and were brought up not just to know their place but to accept it. There's another phrase that you used to hear all the time in those days: "Mustn't grumble'. It was the standard answer to anyone- at least anyone of our own class; you'd never dream of saying anything so casual to your 'betters'- who might ask you how you were or how your work day had been. "Mustn't grumble' we said, and we meant it; we were expected never to grumble about anything because that was all part of the English way."
Some previous reviewers were irritated by her 'those were the good old days' attitude- I was not. I thought she was balanced about what was 'good' about those days and what was not. The concept of one's 'betters'- or accepting some pre-set 'station' in life as the highest one could rise- is hard to wrap my mind around. At the same time, I think a 'mustn't grumble' attitude would serve us all well.
Morning prayers by the Earl, her Ladyship "would add her own, "God, make my servants dutiful." Since there was no 'please' in that sentence, I realized not only that our duties were a matter of the strictest requirement but that the aristocracy were evidently on first-name terms with God."
The ceiling in the strong room, a complex series of mini-arches, intersecting- to thwart burglars from digging their way in.
The description of the BBC updates on the declining health of King George V-
"I don't think I ever heard the phrase 'the Royal Family' in all my time in service- that was a much later creation and one which arrived hand in hand with the demystifying of our monarchy through the medium of television. In that first month of 1936, I doubt you could have found anyone of our class who would know the name of any but the closest of the King's family, but by the same token, I'm sure you would have to search long and hard to find any man, woman or child who would hear a word against him. "
The new King, Edward VIII, seeing the crown fall from his father's coffin...
Coronation set to take place more than a full year after he technically ascended to the throne in May 1937.
The Earl and Countess of Coventry, invited.
The story of Wallis Simpson and how it landed on them-
In 1936, the 'shocking' breach of protocol by the new king in choosing to holiday with Mrs Simpson on a yacht instead of at Balmoral.
The King's subjects did not know this initially because:
"It was easy enough for Mr Baldwin and his government to persuade them to keep any mention of the King's indiscretions out of the papers. The cruise was, however, widely covered in the American and continental European press, and expatriate Britons, who had access to the foreign reports, were scandalized by the reports. They sent letters home to families back in Britain, and soon enough, the country was talking about little else. "
Baldwin's reasoning: "told the King that such a marriage would not be acceptable to the people:'The Queen,' he warned, 'becomes the Queen of the country. Therefore, in the choice of a Queen, the voice of the people must be heard,' Well that might be fine and dandy if anyone told us what was going on. But the newspapers remained quiet on the subject until the Bishop of Bradford gave a speech on December 1. In it, he alluded to the King's need of diving grace, saying, 'We hope that he is aware of his need. Some of us wish that he gave more positive signs of his awareness.' And at that point all hell broke loose."
Friday, December 11,1936- Edward's abdication speech on the BBC
"The BBC had announced that the King was to make an address to his people. But as we sat in tense silence, the stern, Scottish voice of the BBC's Director General introduced him not as our King, but as His Royal Highness, the Prince Edward."
The script of the speech is contained here in the book.
The countess' insistence that she is addressed by the author as "Milady- never, ever as Your Ladyship.'
"Mulley, I am the Countess of Coventry, not Lady Coventry."
New King- George VI crowned on the same day originally planned for Edward's coronation- May 12,1937-
Specific robes the Countess had to wear- so heavy she gasped in astonishment when she first lifted it.
1938: "Opinion in England was divided and the servants' quarters were no different to anywhere else in the country. Some said that Hitler was only restoring pride in the German nation after the harsh conditions imposed on it at the end of the Great War. Others saw in him a dark and dangerous figure who was slowly dragging the world towards a new war. But there was also a string of that that this was all happening a long way away, and that, anyway, Hitler looked a funny little man, what with his comic toothbrush mustache and all that swaggering about in absurd uniforms."
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain- meeting with Hitler, and his comments upon his return.
Hitler leaving the League of Nations 'taking his bat home'-... strutting little man with the stupid moustache- left them knowing war was imminent.
News on the wireless, a constant companion, listened to as a group in total silence.
Gloomy- but typical of the English spirit of pluck- a radio comedy series- 'one of the most important weapons we had on the home front for the entire war' the ITMA: It's That Man Again
The show's catchphrases:
"It's being so cheerful as keeps me going."
"I don't mind if I do."
"TTFN- Ta Ta For Now"
"After you, Claude. No, after you Cecil."
Who knew the origins of: "I don't mind if I do" and "Ta Ta for Now"
Details of rationing-
"When war broke out, the country was importing an enormous proportion of its food- 20 million tons per year, including more than half of the meat, three-quarters of our cheese and sugar, nearly 80% of all fruit and 70% of cereals and fats."
The dying aristocracy-
Generations upon generations had reaped the rewards from the social system of Britan, but now the price of those rewards was being called in... Death duties, the rising cost of maintaining vast 18th-century mansions, and the willingness of each new generation to play more than it worked."
I've heard the death duties, and the rising costs- but not 'the willingness of each new generation to play more than it worked'. Duh.
Overll, I enjoyed this book. The historical details unpacked in the midst of her memoirs, the reaction to the Abdication, the new King's speech, Hitler- for example, I found fascinating reading.
The author was a Lady's Maid to the Countess of Coventry, living at Croome Court.
This book had a lot of detail and additional commentary about the social climes of the time which enriched the story for me. Except- dang, I wish there were photos of the house, her rooms, the servant's hall and the kitchen. There are a few photos of the author, her betrothed, and the Countess.
There were helpful details along the way of this story-
The history of the Earls of Coventry, the history of the Countess' family- Nesta Donne Phillips, born 1903- her father had something to do with the White Star Line, and had some financial crime issues- ending up spending 12 months in jail.
Some quotes:
"They called them The Hungry Thirties.... "Locust years', 'a dark tunnel', the Devil's Decade....and time has done nothing to change the image of the 1930s. And always, always, throughout the length and breadth of the land, there was hunger."
Explanation of the day's currency- pre-decimal- 12 pennies in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound....half-penny- farthing- and what they could buy.
A household staff of 15 (the previous Earl had a staff of 40)
The demarcation between upper and lower servants-
"People grew up knowing their station in life...and were brought up not just to know their place but to accept it. There's another phrase that you used to hear all the time in those days: "Mustn't grumble'. It was the standard answer to anyone- at least anyone of our own class; you'd never dream of saying anything so casual to your 'betters'- who might ask you how you were or how your work day had been. "Mustn't grumble' we said, and we meant it; we were expected never to grumble about anything because that was all part of the English way."
Some previous reviewers were irritated by her 'those were the good old days' attitude- I was not. I thought she was balanced about what was 'good' about those days and what was not. The concept of one's 'betters'- or accepting some pre-set 'station' in life as the highest one could rise- is hard to wrap my mind around. At the same time, I think a 'mustn't grumble' attitude would serve us all well.
Morning prayers by the Earl, her Ladyship "would add her own, "God, make my servants dutiful." Since there was no 'please' in that sentence, I realized not only that our duties were a matter of the strictest requirement but that the aristocracy were evidently on first-name terms with God."
The ceiling in the strong room, a complex series of mini-arches, intersecting- to thwart burglars from digging their way in.
The description of the BBC updates on the declining health of King George V-
"I don't think I ever heard the phrase 'the Royal Family' in all my time in service- that was a much later creation and one which arrived hand in hand with the demystifying of our monarchy through the medium of television. In that first month of 1936, I doubt you could have found anyone of our class who would know the name of any but the closest of the King's family, but by the same token, I'm sure you would have to search long and hard to find any man, woman or child who would hear a word against him. "
The new King, Edward VIII, seeing the crown fall from his father's coffin...
Coronation set to take place more than a full year after he technically ascended to the throne in May 1937.
The Earl and Countess of Coventry, invited.
The story of Wallis Simpson and how it landed on them-
In 1936, the 'shocking' breach of protocol by the new king in choosing to holiday with Mrs Simpson on a yacht instead of at Balmoral.
The King's subjects did not know this initially because:
"It was easy enough for Mr Baldwin and his government to persuade them to keep any mention of the King's indiscretions out of the papers. The cruise was, however, widely covered in the American and continental European press, and expatriate Britons, who had access to the foreign reports, were scandalized by the reports. They sent letters home to families back in Britain, and soon enough, the country was talking about little else. "
Baldwin's reasoning: "told the King that such a marriage would not be acceptable to the people:'The Queen,' he warned, 'becomes the Queen of the country. Therefore, in the choice of a Queen, the voice of the people must be heard,' Well that might be fine and dandy if anyone told us what was going on. But the newspapers remained quiet on the subject until the Bishop of Bradford gave a speech on December 1. In it, he alluded to the King's need of diving grace, saying, 'We hope that he is aware of his need. Some of us wish that he gave more positive signs of his awareness.' And at that point all hell broke loose."
Friday, December 11,1936- Edward's abdication speech on the BBC
"The BBC had announced that the King was to make an address to his people. But as we sat in tense silence, the stern, Scottish voice of the BBC's Director General introduced him not as our King, but as His Royal Highness, the Prince Edward."
The script of the speech is contained here in the book.
The countess' insistence that she is addressed by the author as "Milady- never, ever as Your Ladyship.'
"Mulley, I am the Countess of Coventry, not Lady Coventry."
New King- George VI crowned on the same day originally planned for Edward's coronation- May 12,1937-
Specific robes the Countess had to wear- so heavy she gasped in astonishment when she first lifted it.
1938: "Opinion in England was divided and the servants' quarters were no different to anywhere else in the country. Some said that Hitler was only restoring pride in the German nation after the harsh conditions imposed on it at the end of the Great War. Others saw in him a dark and dangerous figure who was slowly dragging the world towards a new war. But there was also a string of that that this was all happening a long way away, and that, anyway, Hitler looked a funny little man, what with his comic toothbrush mustache and all that swaggering about in absurd uniforms."
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain- meeting with Hitler, and his comments upon his return.
Hitler leaving the League of Nations 'taking his bat home'-... strutting little man with the stupid moustache- left them knowing war was imminent.
News on the wireless, a constant companion, listened to as a group in total silence.
Gloomy- but typical of the English spirit of pluck- a radio comedy series- 'one of the most important weapons we had on the home front for the entire war' the ITMA: It's That Man Again
The show's catchphrases:
"It's being so cheerful as keeps me going."
"I don't mind if I do."
"TTFN- Ta Ta For Now"
"After you, Claude. No, after you Cecil."
Who knew the origins of: "I don't mind if I do" and "Ta Ta for Now"
Details of rationing-
"When war broke out, the country was importing an enormous proportion of its food- 20 million tons per year, including more than half of the meat, three-quarters of our cheese and sugar, nearly 80% of all fruit and 70% of cereals and fats."
The dying aristocracy-
Generations upon generations had reaped the rewards from the social system of Britan, but now the price of those rewards was being called in... Death duties, the rising cost of maintaining vast 18th-century mansions, and the willingness of each new generation to play more than it worked."
I've heard the death duties, and the rising costs- but not 'the willingness of each new generation to play more than it worked'. Duh.
Overll, I enjoyed this book. The historical details unpacked in the midst of her memoirs, the reaction to the Abdication, the new King's speech, Hitler- for example, I found fascinating reading.
December 8, 2021
You are in for a treat. Now that the cold weather has settled in, nothing is cozier than snuggling up next to a fire with a blanket, a cuppa tea, and listening to Hilda Newman's "Upstairs & Downstairs: My Life in Service as a Lady's Maid". Written when she was 93 years old, it recounts her five years as a Lady's maid to the Lady of Coventry at Croome Court during the 1930's. It was a quite a shock for a nineteen year-old girl who had barely strayed from her small family home in Stamford, but she quickly learns the ropes and the rules-- one being that there is no romance between servants. Sigh, tough to hear after the dashing chauffeur caught her fancy. Throughout she compares today's world with the one of the past and gently pokes fun at both. I think I enjoyed this book so much because I listened to it on Audible, and the narrator perfectly captures Newman's voice and tone. This is very much an elderly woman sharing her experiences with the reader, and it is important to remember that they are her experiences. If you are looking for an in-depth expose on life at great manors or never-been-heard-history, this book will disappoint. However, if you want six hours of cozy listening to a good storyteller about a long-ago time, this is just the ticket. Highly recommend listening to it.
January 17, 2022
Interesting book. It gave very negative thoughts about the family she worked for and she presented herself as very “stick in the mud” and sanctimonious. She was looking at herself from her mid 90’s, so I’m sure she had a slightly more straight and narrow view, but that was her. It was disappointing that she didn’t give more details of what and how things happened. Brushing Lady Coventry’s hair was fascinating I’m sure, but there must have been other responsibilities besides ironing her clothes and drawing her baths. I wish there had been more about Hilda’s connection with the other servants, especially Dot, and stories about how she was treated by them. Also, anything about her connection with the children, how long was she married?, what were her feelings about Lady or Lord Coventry? On the other hand, her talking about her family’s strength, her relationships with her parents and her description of her process of getting to know Roland and Lady Coventry were really interesting. Her thoughts about today were very clear and I wonder what it would have been like talking to her face to face. I recommend reading it, but there are others that are more thorough (look for Margaret Powell for more details and humor).
December 29, 2015
Short, sweet but not very substantial. Writing as a 97 year old, the book gives a broad sweep of Hilda's earlier family life, her five years in service as a Lady's Maid and what happened when she finished that role with the beginning of WWII. If you're looking for a more substantial and detailed observation of what it meant to be a Lady's Maid, this book won't really help. It's not academic in nature, so it's reads a bit like what a conversation might be like with your Gran. I wanted to ask more questions and mine her experience a little more, but seeing as it was 70 years ago then perhaps she could be forgiven :-) In spite of that, it was sweet in nature with her memories of a Britain, family life, social rankings and morals that were swept away with the Second World War, never to be the same again. Part of me feels sorry for the more simplistic, black and white times which may never return. In gaining what we have, we've also lost something. Recommended for a short, quick holiday read.
February 20, 2022
The first 40-60 pages were entertaining. And learning about the money, the gas, electricity system was interesting too but after that there was a lot of issues and I don't think I can blame Newman because that was the time and culture she lived through so this was her normal.
Consistent themes I found and got annoyed by throughout the book:
Internalised misogyny,
Slut shaming,
Constantly repeating how 'bad' that today's generation is in terms of romance/courting (more slut shaming), family values and dynamics
Love for the royal family and UK and had a lot of empathy for the European countries that were attacked by Hitler but not one word of empathy and sorrow for the countries that the UK had attacked and colonised.
All in all, you can skip this book. There's better things to read and do with your time.
Consistent themes I found and got annoyed by throughout the book:
Internalised misogyny,
Slut shaming,
Constantly repeating how 'bad' that today's generation is in terms of romance/courting (more slut shaming), family values and dynamics
Love for the royal family and UK and had a lot of empathy for the European countries that were attacked by Hitler but not one word of empathy and sorrow for the countries that the UK had attacked and colonised.
All in all, you can skip this book. There's better things to read and do with your time.
March 13, 2017
If you are looking for an interesting read about those serving the English aristocracy in the 1930’s, Diamonds at Dinner by Hilda Newman is the perfect book. It is a charming story written by a lovable woman about a very interesting time in history. Even though it handles issues like poverty and war, it does them in a clean and dignified way, making this book suitable for teens as well as adults. Best of all, the reader does not need to sacrifice good writing for good content in this book. It really is one to read.
To visit my memoir review blog:
https://memoir.blog/ (home)
https://memoir.blog/diamonds-at-dinner/ (this book)
To visit my memoir review blog:
https://memoir.blog/ (home)
https://memoir.blog/diamonds-at-dinner/ (this book)
August 7, 2014
Another servant's memoir
Another servant's memoir
Pale pretence of the "Upstairs, Downstairs" type. There are some fascinating "servant-to-the-Gentry" memoir. Nancy Astor's lady's maid's book "Rose" leaps to mind. This opportunist cashing in on the Downton Abbey fad has a few memories to offer, and those mostly from her childhood. Too bad for the reader, the rest of this story's content is fluff -- just newspaper articles, speeches and retelling of historical situations better covered in grade school. Disappointing, really.
Another servant's memoir
Pale pretence of the "Upstairs, Downstairs" type. There are some fascinating "servant-to-the-Gentry" memoir. Nancy Astor's lady's maid's book "Rose" leaps to mind. This opportunist cashing in on the Downton Abbey fad has a few memories to offer, and those mostly from her childhood. Too bad for the reader, the rest of this story's content is fluff -- just newspaper articles, speeches and retelling of historical situations better covered in grade school. Disappointing, really.
August 9, 2015
Disappointing. I was expecting more about life upstairs and downstairs. Because Hilda was the personal maid to the Lady of the house, she did not seem to have much to say about the life of the others as she hardly mixed with them. There was too many speaches, ie The King, Churchhill and others which most of us have heard or read before. A lot about her early childhood which makes the title of the book misleading.
July 8, 2017
I very much enjoyed reading this memoir. The author gives a great recollection of events that happened during her working years at the estate and I was fascinated by her stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys period history stories or are fans of Downton Abbey. They will not be disappointed.
April 18, 2016
More please
I thoroughly enjoyed this. A fascinating first hand account of an historical era. Being a Downton Abbey fan it was easy to visualize both upstairs and down. I would love to add Croome as a visit on my long list of places to see in England. I would recommend. Gbash
I thoroughly enjoyed this. A fascinating first hand account of an historical era. Being a Downton Abbey fan it was easy to visualize both upstairs and down. I would love to add Croome as a visit on my long list of places to see in England. I would recommend. Gbash
December 17, 2023
This book is another of those depicting the lives of the aristocracy and those of the people who were their servants during the time between the two World Wars. In some ways, it seems to me to be the best of the ones I have read – or at least the most interesting.
I gather that the author, Hilda Mary Mulley Newman, had quite a lot of help from her co-author, Tim Tate, as it appears that she became Lady’s maid to the Countess of Coventry at the age of 19 with no other higher education than as an apprentice dressmaker. But the story she tells is very well put together, full of details about not only the lives of the servants at Croome Court, the great house where they lived, but of those of the Earl and Countess and their family as well. Actually, being the recollections of the Lady’s maid, this is one of the best accounts from the servants’ point of view. Most of the other books of this type have been written by either people doing historical research on their subjects or descendants or other relatives of the masters of the house, and as such they have had to rely mainly on written records where the stories of the servants are much less extensively represented.
Hilda Newman worked for the Countess of Coventry for about five years before World War II broke out. At her mistress’ insistence, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the branch of the British military in which women served at the time. Although the Countess’ idea was that Hilda would continue to be her servant in the military, the army had other ideas and assigned her to wait on tables in the Officers’ Canteen of a training camp. During this time she married Roland Newman, former chauffeur at Croome Court. Meanwhile, Croome Court itself was taken over by the military and became a research facility for learning how to effectively use radar.
There are many other revealing details of life both in the great house and in the more humble homes of ordinary people during this time, and some history, some of which (in addition to the war) parallels what we have read in other books on similar subjects covering the same time.
I gather that the author, Hilda Mary Mulley Newman, had quite a lot of help from her co-author, Tim Tate, as it appears that she became Lady’s maid to the Countess of Coventry at the age of 19 with no other higher education than as an apprentice dressmaker. But the story she tells is very well put together, full of details about not only the lives of the servants at Croome Court, the great house where they lived, but of those of the Earl and Countess and their family as well. Actually, being the recollections of the Lady’s maid, this is one of the best accounts from the servants’ point of view. Most of the other books of this type have been written by either people doing historical research on their subjects or descendants or other relatives of the masters of the house, and as such they have had to rely mainly on written records where the stories of the servants are much less extensively represented.
Hilda Newman worked for the Countess of Coventry for about five years before World War II broke out. At her mistress’ insistence, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the branch of the British military in which women served at the time. Although the Countess’ idea was that Hilda would continue to be her servant in the military, the army had other ideas and assigned her to wait on tables in the Officers’ Canteen of a training camp. During this time she married Roland Newman, former chauffeur at Croome Court. Meanwhile, Croome Court itself was taken over by the military and became a research facility for learning how to effectively use radar.
There are many other revealing details of life both in the great house and in the more humble homes of ordinary people during this time, and some history, some of which (in addition to the war) parallels what we have read in other books on similar subjects covering the same time.
May 2, 2020
97 year old Hilda takes us back to her youth, when in 1935 as a 19 year old she was employed as a ladies maid for the Countess of Coventry. I loved hearing about her experience at the Coronation in 1937 and being trusted to pick up $2 million (in today’s value) of jewels from the Countess’ bank and her secret forbidden romance with her fellow servant, chauffeur Roland. The war changed her life, signing up resulted in her losing her job and her home at Croome when the house was turned over to the war department. Hilda comes across as more haughty than the people she serves, and her judgement of the aristocracy extends to her judgement of her readers - she seems to presume we are all stupid and know nothing of history, especially on such simple facts that I would consider fairly common knowledge (ie: electricity and telephones weren’t common in the 1920s and 30s, and people didn’t have television or the internet to get their news from) and in particular, the early chapters go into great detail about these things unnecessarily. It leaves the reader feeling as if they are being talked down to. Overall the book is low in details, and feels more like a chat with an old lady than a memoir.
All in all, it’s a good quick (6 hours audio) read about a different time and place.
All in all, it’s a good quick (6 hours audio) read about a different time and place.
February 11, 2024
Traveling back in time to my mother's English life.
First and foremost, thank you so very much for sharing your memories! My mother grew up in London with summers in a tiny village near Ipswich. You enhanced her shared memories and provided additional circumstances she and her three siblings thrived in through faith and family, despite the many hardships. Mum worked in the War Office in London, and her brothers fought in Africa and France. Her Dad returned from the Great War suffering from Shell Shock. To quote my dear Nana, who never allowed anyone to say shut up or hate, finally confessed that she did truly hate Hitler! We came to America in 1949...Mum, Dad and infant me...from Norway, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Dad assured Mum that the sun was always shining, oranges grew on trees, and the former Davis Cup player could play without waiting for the snow to melt. They didn't want to belabor their hardships on their children, so we basically grew up clueless, happy and appreciative.
Enjoying your book brought my ancestry home to me. Again, thank you!
First and foremost, thank you so very much for sharing your memories! My mother grew up in London with summers in a tiny village near Ipswich. You enhanced her shared memories and provided additional circumstances she and her three siblings thrived in through faith and family, despite the many hardships. Mum worked in the War Office in London, and her brothers fought in Africa and France. Her Dad returned from the Great War suffering from Shell Shock. To quote my dear Nana, who never allowed anyone to say shut up or hate, finally confessed that she did truly hate Hitler! We came to America in 1949...Mum, Dad and infant me...from Norway, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Dad assured Mum that the sun was always shining, oranges grew on trees, and the former Davis Cup player could play without waiting for the snow to melt. They didn't want to belabor their hardships on their children, so we basically grew up clueless, happy and appreciative.
Enjoying your book brought my ancestry home to me. Again, thank you!
October 2, 2021
Written as a memoir of Hilda, by Hilda Newman and Tim Tate. This book is quite the history lesson aswell.
The story takes us throughout all of Hilda’s life, but mainly her time spent as a ladies made to Lady Coventry.
A really interesting story, a remarkable life. But really truly a history lesson from life just after the war until present day we learn of war, the royal family, money, clothing, the 2nd world war and how life changed. Yet it’s also a touching reminder of the innocence of the times gone by.
I don’t want to be harsh as this wouldn’t be my typical genre but I’m trying to just pick the first thing that comes up for a change. However while I say it’s very much a history lesson, it is plugged as “like downtown abbey” or a “memoir” and it leant very heavily on history lesson, even in the narration which bizarrely I couldn’t find the correct speed for, it was spoken very quickly and I slowed down at least 3 times, the 4th sounded like a robot. I’m sure someone will love it way more than I did. That said it wasn’t terrible, perhaps just not my thing.
The story takes us throughout all of Hilda’s life, but mainly her time spent as a ladies made to Lady Coventry.
A really interesting story, a remarkable life. But really truly a history lesson from life just after the war until present day we learn of war, the royal family, money, clothing, the 2nd world war and how life changed. Yet it’s also a touching reminder of the innocence of the times gone by.
I don’t want to be harsh as this wouldn’t be my typical genre but I’m trying to just pick the first thing that comes up for a change. However while I say it’s very much a history lesson, it is plugged as “like downtown abbey” or a “memoir” and it leant very heavily on history lesson, even in the narration which bizarrely I couldn’t find the correct speed for, it was spoken very quickly and I slowed down at least 3 times, the 4th sounded like a robot. I’m sure someone will love it way more than I did. That said it wasn’t terrible, perhaps just not my thing.
August 30, 2022
Calling this 2.5 stars. I enjoyed parts of this audiobook and it was easy to have on in the background while doing other things. The beginning was a bit slow to start with reviewing currency and such, but then it picked up a bit. I wish there had been a bit more on the actual happenings upstairs and downstairs, but Hilda did paint a decent picture. I enjoyed hearing about the transition from small town life to working for the aristocracy, and her budding romance with the chauffeur. There were a few too many speeches/letters/articles included in full, which became a bit tedious. I didn’t mind one or two, but then it started to feel like filler content. The thing that irritated me most about this book though was the author’s attitude to the young people of today and our generation - thinking us selfish, uninterested, and passive. I think that’s quite the opposite in many ways. I understand she’s 97 and looking back, but the tone (or maybe the narrator’s) was a bit condescending. An alright audiobook!
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